Neo Rangers
by Zipper
Summary: The Rangers have disbanded and have started famalies of their own. Now its up to their offspring to find Gadget a present for her birthday... if they can survive the trip. C+G G+F An older story from when I just started writing
1. Prologue

Prologue  
I truly think that Mortimer is the perfect name for a mouse, bar none  
W. Disney  
  
"Chiiiiiip?" called a sing-songy voice from around the corner.  
  
The living room was furnished in a Victorian style. The paneling and bookshelves were a deep red mahogany. The fireplace was carved marble, also in the Victorian style.  
Many pictures littered the mantel, showing a long full life. Pictures of a young mouse and chipmunk playing in a sandbox, some of Chip and his bride on there wedding day, but one stood out from them all. This picture hung above the mantel, with a mahogany frame to match the décor. The picture its self was a group shot, two Chipmunks, one wearing a Hawaiian shirt, the other a fedora and a leather bomber jacket, two mice, one was a small, attractive young female field mouse, the other a large mouse with an Australia leaning in his attire, and a fly wearing a red sweeter, to finish of the five some. This picture held special meaning for Chip. It reminded him of his past, and who his friends were.  
Chip set down his newspaper and sat up in his Lazy-Lad. He needed a break from grading his criminal law papers. His class was very popular, and he had a lot of work to do, but after awhile all the answers were started to run together.  
  
"Yes?" he replied to the disembodied voice, quickly removing himself from his spot to investigate the motive behind why he was being summoned. 'A case might be around the corner.' He thought to him self. Chip still played these games in his head, though they were tamer now then when he first retired. Now he was content to teach in the mornings and do odd chores around the house, but part of him still wanted to be out there, solving the unsolvable, with danger looming around every corner.  
"Dale wants to know if we could come over for spring break." Replied the feminine voice from the kitchen.  
"I don't see why not, if it's ok with you." He called, rounding the corner to the kitchen.  
Chip had to stifle a gasp. After all these years she still took his breath away. Before him stood the most perfect creature, a beauty that nature could never reproduce, excluding his daughter, who was almost an exact copy, of course. Her small figure was silhouetted by the mid afternoon sun, the light glimmer off her golden hair brighter that any gold coin, her tail was wrapped around her right leg, absent-mindedly twitching at the end in a manner that he found provocative. She continued to talk on the phone; unaware of the chipmunk staring slack jawed like a teen on his first date  
  
The kitchen was modest, with a small stove/oven unit sitting near the phone and a refrigerator on the far wall. The table was from a dollhouse, but was just the right size for six, though it rarely sat that many. On it was spread a cacophony of papers. Some were plans of some new invention, but most were test and school papers she was reviewing.  
  
Gadget noticed him standing there and handed him the phone. Dale's voice brought him back to reality.  
"Hay Chip, long time no hear."  
"No kidding buddy, how's the family doing?"  
"I can't complain."  
"And the business?"  
"Business has been slow. Foxglove has started a web page on bats. You know, were to find what types, when the best time to see them, stuff like that. How'ziit going with you."  
"About the same." He noticed his wife's eyes on him. "I teach in the morning, and do nothing in the after noon, you know, same old, same old"  
Chip could not take his eyes off his wife. He made eye contact with a pair of deep blue pools and a seductive smile that made all his care drift away.  
  
Dale was engrossed with his conversation with Chip. Foxglove had been updating her web page, when she heard her name mentioned. She casually walked over to Dale, and give him a small love nip on the back of his neck. Though it didn't break the skin, she wasn't that kind of bat; it still sent shivers of anticipation up his neck.  
  
There was a pause on the phone, and then Dale spoke again. "So what you're saying is that your wife is looking at you with the same expiration that my wife is giving me."  
Chip was engrossed with the fest for the eyes lay out before him and almost missed the comment initially. "Yah, but Dale, my wife isn't hanging on the ceiling right now." Chip could hear an audible giggle from Foxglove in the background. Both chipmunks were starting to notice that the rooms they were in were getting a little hotter than normal.  
Chip was forced to break contact to write down the details "So were on for spring break? The full two weeks. Ok... Ok... Good, see ya then... I'll tell her... bye"  
Chip hung up the phone on its cradle. He turned to find that the two pools of a blue that rivaled the pacific were now only a few inches away.  
"Who said Foxglove was the only one who could stand on the ceiling?" She flitted seductively, breaking eye contact this time. She was heading for their bedroom, two plungers strapped to her feet, her hair pointing earthward with her tail fallowing suit.  
Chip watch as she rounded the corner, with that same 'dear in the head lights' look. "If Geegaw had intended his daughter to hang from the ceiling, he would of married a bat." Chip called quickly following her, closing the bedroom door behind him. 


	2. The Best Layed Plans of Mice and Men

01: The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men.  
"Brothers are meant to irritate!"  
Any sister, Any time.  
  
"Jen, wait up!"  
Jennifer turned around to see a chipmunk running after her. He was about her size, wearing a black bomber jacket, and a backpack slung over his shoulder. He looked just like his father except for his blue eyes, witch stood out against his brown fur. She was a different matter. She was a spitting image of her mother, except for her fathers deep brown eyes, that clashed with her white fur and golden blond hair.  
"What is it Gee, I'm late for class." She yelled at the winded chipmunk.  
He had finally caught up, but was still panting hard. "Meet me (pant) in the (pant) coffee shop after (pant) class. It's important." At that her brother turned and ran off to get to his class.  
  
Their scheduled meeting haunted her all the way to her class. 'What could be so important that Gee would risk being late for class. He's already five points away from taking that class over.'  
"Earth to Jen. Cool your thrusters and prepare for reentry."  
Jen was startled by the mysterious voice. She shook her head to clear it, then turned to face who ever it was, dropping her books in the presses.  
"Jen, calm down, it's only me. You look like you've seen a ghost."  
Jennifer found a pair of big deep violet eyes. The eyes stared back, trying unsuccessfully to hide their worry.  
Jennifer started to pick up her books. The bat at her side bent down to help, her brown wings gently lifting the books form their fallen position.   
"I'm sorry Maggie," Jennifer began "you startled me. I was thinking about something and lost track of my surroundings."  
"That's an understatement. I was yelling at you to slow down for a good five minuets, you're not THAT late for class, are you?" Magnolia sensed Jens apprehension, but decided to push on. "Why don't you tell me what's on you're mind while we walk to class."  
Jen could see that the bat wasn't going to except no for an answer. With a sigh, she started to place the fallen books into her backpack, and to recreate her encounter.  
  
* * * *  
  
Chip was sitting at his desk in his classroom grading papers. Spring break was coming up, and he had just administered the last big test before the break. "Now comes the monotonous part", he mumbled to him self. He acknowledged his task and started in on the stack of papers as tall as he was when a knock interrupted him.  
"Come in."  
Chip watched as the door opened, and the figure walked in. "Gee, what brings you here, is this about the test? You know that I don't even grade your class papers."  
"No dad, it's not about that." His son mumbled.  
"Then what is it, you look worried."  
"Moms birthday is coming up, and I want to do something special." Geegaw had a glint in his eyes that Chip recognized first hand.  
He looked at his son and thought for a moment. "What did you have in mind?"  
"Well," Gee squirmed in his seat trying to find a tactful way to put it but not finding a way, he just blurted it out. "I want to do something that will stick with her, not something that will be forgotten, or tossed aside."  
"Like?" Chip prompted.  
Geegaw thought for a moment. "Well, is there anything Mom regretted not doing?"  
Chip had to think about this question. "No, she doesn't relive the past to often." Chip delved deeper into his memories. "Now that I think about it, she regrets leaving your grandfathers plane behind, but that's in the Arctic Circle and was scavenged for parts to make the Ranger Wing. No way it could be salvaged. Sorry I couldn't help more."  
Geegaw looked at his feet. "That's ok, it was a long shot." He looked at his watch, and slapped his forehead. "Shoot, I was supposed to meet Jen at the Café five minuets ago."  
  
* * * *  
  
The 'Café de Jazz' was small, even by mouse standards, a true 'hole in the wall.' The room was long and narrow. The tables were small, big enough for three rodents to be seated uncomfortably, but not much more. In the far corner was a stage were bands would come and play on the weekends. Over all, it was small and dark, just the way it should be, and Jennifer liked it. It was the only coffee shop in the area. Sure there was the school cafeteria, but that didn't count.  
The place was surprisingly empty, only a few patrons sparsely littering its floor. Jen could only recognize two of the customers. They were brother and sister, easily the tallest mammals on campus. They had befriended her and her brother, the second day of their freshmen year. Both of them had full athletic scholarships. That wasn't surprising because they were the only two mercats in the schools division.  
The female specialized in track and field, her brother in football and soccer. They were known as 'Charlie's Angels'. Charlie, the male, didn't mind this nickname as much as Samantha did. She hated the pet name 'Angel', and had been known to answer the call with a fist to the antagonizers nose. They were tough, but loyal to their friends and wouldn't hurt a fly, unless the fly started it, of course, then they felt obligated to finish what was started.  
  
Jennifer was sitting in the corner, waiting for Magnolia to come back with their drinks. Jen needed something to calm her nerves. She was rattled by her brother wanting to meet her here, but was unsure why. It was common to come here after class to relax, yet something told her that it was big.  
  
Magnolia had returned to the table by now and had stated to pass out their drinks, a decaf espresso for Jennifer, and a special banana mix that was high in protein for her self. It was hard for her, being a bat, to go out each night looking for insects, and this mix that she had found one night at the zoo was the next best thing. She eyed Jenifer as she absently stirred her espresso, but could do nothing to alleviate her anxiety.  
  
Geegaw walked in, taking a moment to let his eyes readjust to the dark room.  
"Gee, Over here!" Jen shook a hand above her head to get her brothers attention. Geegaw proceeded over to the table and sat down.  
"Maggie can you keep a secret?" Geegaw asked, leaning over the table  
"It depends, what kind of secret." The bat shot back.  
"A good one, one you'll want to keep."  
"So it's not gossip, I can deal with that." Magnolia said matter-of-factly.  
Geegaw looked at her for a moment, not sure if she was joking or not. She wasn't known as a gossiper, but she does pass on a story now and then. She winked an eye in his direction putting all his concerns to rest. With a sign, he proceeded.  
"I want to do something special for Mom and I'll need your help Jen."  
"What, you never considered me to help you, Gee? I'm hurt. I want to surprise Auntie-Gadget just as much as Jen would." Magnolia declared quietly in a sarcastic tone.  
Geegaw continued, ignoring the attempted joke from his cousin. "Jen, remember how Mom would talk about grandpas old plane?"  
Jen stared at her brother, not following his train of thought. "She'd mumble about it in her sleep. I think it hurt her to think about it. What's your point?"  
"I talked to dad. He said she had regretted leaving the plane behind. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense." Geegaw could tell that both Maggie and Jen were lost. "I want to salvage the plane as a birthday present."  
"WHAT?" Jennifer yelled, startled at how loud her voice had raised. The café fell into a hush. She could see that he was serious. She recomposed her self, but Maggie spoke first, beating her to the punch.  
"But it's in the arctic, Glassier Bay if I remember the story correctly."  
"So you two in?" Geegaw said with a smirk. 


	3. Ghost of Rangers Past

02: Ghost of Rangers Past  
"Not to long ago, right next door..."  
Rejected openings for Star Wars  
  
It was early. No one was up, not even the sun. The fog hung heavily over the abandoned airstrip were the school, the Hackwrench Institute of Technology, had called home for a little over ten years.  
Samm preferred to do laps around the runway at this early hour. 'I use a run way for what it should be used for.' She smirked at her private joke. She looked at her watch, a minute and a half faster than the last lap.  
A twig snapped. She looked up, just in time to see a faint shadow appear in the fog, and had just enough time to brace for the impact. The object she hit though, did not, and landed about a foot away in a crumpled heap, giving out a startled yelp before it fell unconscious.  
  
* * * *  
  
The lawyer was an older cat, in his late fifties, early sixties.  
'He must have been a real tomcat in his prime.' Kimberly thought to her self. Now his once tabby coat had faded, and his whiskers drooped.  
She was, on the other paw, considerably younger, barley twenty. Her light blue eyes, and long wispy white fur showing off her Balinese breeding from her mothers side. Her medium size revealing her fathers Black and White tendencies.  
Her parents had emigrated from Scotland when she was only one. Her mother came from a family with old money. Her father was just a normal black and white, a lonely American that had been stranded and forced to live on the streets. Her grandmother did not approve of the pair and did every thing in her power to separate them, including putting a clause in her will that if Kimberley's mother married that particular cat, that she would be removed from the will, leaving all the her inheritance the to the other members of the family, a spoiled fat cat named Porter, and a rich filthy crime lord named Laurence, though he preferred Fat.  
Her father had come from a family with ties to organized crime, although her father had wanted nothing to do with it. He was one of three children. His sister had seen what a life of crime had done to the family and, like himself, steered clear. She died, ironically, in a gang shooting, the front bumper of the speeding car dealing the blow to her head. She left behind a single son, Tom. Her uncle, the youngest of the three, was the black sheep of the family, and was drawn to fallow in his fathers, her grandfathers, foot steps that had ended in a short, bloody life.  
Her parents had died young. Her mother when she was five of an unknown illness, her father when she was fifteen, protecting her from a pack of dogs. Shortly after her father died, she received a letter addressed to her mother. Kimberly's uncle, Porter, had died in a stampede in the savanna and left her mother, were he was on safari, and her family every thing. That left Kim, who was the only surviving member of this branch of the family tree, with a large sum of cash. Now her only other uncle had died. He had made a considerable amount of money running a mod, though it turned out to be the one thing that he couldn't buy protection from.   
  
"Tom, Kim, since you're the only surviving member of the Cat family, your uncle has left you what's left of his empire, but he wishes that you finishes what he started, the extermination of the 'Rescue Rangers'.  
"Uncle Fat sure had an obsession with them didn't he?" she remarked. "The high and mighty Fat Cat, brought down by a group of rodents."  
Kimberly didn't want the tainted money being handed to her and she had no desire to go on a senseless killing spree. She preferred cat food to killing innocent rodents, even if it was to survive, plus she had no wish to get involved in anything that was even remotely stained with the stench of crime. Tom, on the other paw, was fallowing in his grandfathers and uncle's footsteps. He recently had started a small gang in the east side of the city that grew into the largest mob around. H didn't have a problem with signing a death sentence, especially for a group of rodents.  
  
* * * *  
  
Jen stirred slightly then regretted moving at all.  
"Jen... Jen are you all right?"  
Her head felt worse then the time she had blown up the chem lab.  
The voice continued, "Just like me to knock out the principles daughter. How many fingers do you see?"  
Jen forced her eyes to open and started to count, then lost track at twenty.  
"Too many." She replied to the stranger's question.  
"I thought so, a mild concussion but nothing serious." Jen's eyes started to focus. She could make out the silhouette of a large shape. The shape persisted in its line of questioning.  
"What are you doing out this early in the morning?"  
"Golly, I was trying out an a new modification to my plane." Jen shuttered, "The knock to my head must have been harder than I thought, I'm starting to sound like mom. If I start using terms like 'It should work,' and 'I hate it when there's left over parts,' shoot me" This caused the stranger to practically fall down, laughing.  
Opening her eyes again, the mouse tried to focus on her 'Good Samaritan'. She identified the figure as a female, the fact that the stranger got the joke showed that she knew her mother, and her eyes told her that the stranger was tall. Only one animal on campus fit that description.  
"So, Sam, what brings you out at this hour?"  
"My usually, a few laps around the track."  
The fog was starting to clear, and visibility was increasing. Sam could see an outline of a large object, it's shape still shrouded in the fog. "What's that?" she said, pointing to the silhouette.  
Jen redirected her attention to where her tall friend was pointing. "Oh, that." she said flatly in response. "It's the proto-type I was working on. I'm having problems with the batteries. My applied voltage isn't adding up to the voltage out-put I should be getting."  
Sam rubbed her chin for a second, "Maybe the batteries are in parallel."  
"Nope that was the first thing I checked."  
"Something's loading the circuit down." The merekat mumbled.  
Sam reached down offering her paw in assistance. "I could give you a hand if you like."  
Jen reached up, noticing how much smaller her paw was in comparison. "If you wouldn't mind, I could use the company."  
  
* * * *  
  
Foxglove had been reading a book on the couch. She didn't remember drifting off to sleep, but she remembered waking up, and the headache that accompanied it. She looked around in a disoriented manner. Something loud had roused her and she was determined to hunt it down. She was searching the room, listening carefully when the phone behind her rang again, causing to fall off the couch.  
She picked up the phone testily. "Hello, Oakmont residence, Foxglove speaking."  
"Auntie Foxglove, It's Gee."  
"Geegaw?" She squealed uncharacteristically. "I didn't recognize you're voice. How can I help you? It's not about Maggie is it?"  
"Umm... no, not this time. You're charming daughter isn't in trouble yet. Is Zipper there?"  
"I think so, let me check." She covered the mouth piece, and call out. A moment later, the fly poked his head around the corner. "It's for you." Foxie said pointing to the phone.  
Zippered perked up. He had been moping around the tree recently.  
Foxglove laid the phone on the table and went back to find were she had left off in her book. Zipper buzzed his appreciation then stood next to the receiver. "Hello"  
"Zipper? It's Gee. I could use your help on a project for moms birthday."  
"Sure, how could I help?"  
"First I'll need Dads old journal, you know, the one he kept when the Rangers started. In addition, any thing Mom might have had written from around the same time frame. We'll swing by later on to pick it up and decide were to go from there."  
"I'll see you then."  
"And Zip, thanks."  
"No prob. I need something to do."  
"Bye."  
Zipper hung the phone up, and then went out to find the items needed, glad to have something to keep his mind off Monty's recent departing.  
  
  
* * * *  
  
The day was bright, buds filled the branches of the local trees, and birds were returning from their long rest down south. Geegaw was walking along the runway unaware of the seasonal changes. He was on a mission.  
He leaned on the door of the hanger. "Jen is the plane prepped?"  
All that could be seen of his sister was a white tail and two white feet with their pink pad showing. Jennifer's dolly rolled out from under the plane. She stood up, cleaning her hands in a rag, wearing an uncharacteristic purple coveralls and goggles.  
"MOM?"  
"What, can't I help out your sister?"  
Gadget turned her attention back to the plane.  
"Jenny," Jennifer's head popped up from the cockpit area. If Geegaw didn't know better, he would of thought he was seeing a double image, "how's the modification working."  
"It looks like its holding, it should work. Thanks for your help Mom."  
"It was good to get my hands back into the craft, it's been so long. I'll make a Hackwrench out of you yet." Gadget looked at her watch. "Golly, would you look at the time, I've got a class to teach. I hope you don't mind me running off."  
"Oh, no, go ahead, Gee could lend me a hand."  
Gadget started to walk out, still wiping her hands on the rag absent-mindedly.  
"Mom," Geegaw started, "Don't forget to change before class, unless grease spots are the new fashion out of France."  
"What...? Oh right... Don't worry; it's Applied Mechanical Engineering. We were going to get our hands dirty anyhow."  
Jennifer and Geegaw waited until Gadget was out of sight then waited a few more minuets. It always occurred to the twins that Gadget could hear better than they could, though it was dismissed as 'mothers instincts'.  
Although not very obvious at first, the mouse and the chipmunk were twins, all be it, not identical twins.  
"Jen, you're starting to scare me." Geegaw said flatly.  
"WHAT!? Mom has no idea what we're up to!"  
"No, it's not that. First you have the gall to look like Mom, but now you're even starting to sound like her."  
"Explain?" she demanded testily, eyeing her brother.  
"You stated, and I quote, 'it should work.' We all know what that means. I just hope that it's nothing critical or were toast." Jennifer shot daggers as she stared her brothers down.  
Geegaw decided it was in his best interest to change the subject. Jennifer had never liked being associated to their mother's tendency to get over excited about an invention and not properly test it before hand. "Is the plane ready?"  
"Yes," a diabolical look spread across her innocent face, "it should work."  
Geegaw ignored her attempt at humor, but not with out a reflexive twinge. "You've already have Mom's sense of humor." He mumbled to him self.   
Jennifer continued. "We should plan on leaving soon, if we want to get back before dark." She did a quick head count. "Were is Maggie?"  
"She said to pick her up, she might be running late."  
"We should get going then, were running behind schedule." 


	4. Chip Off the Old Block

03: Chip Off The Old Block   
"Hello, my name is Gadget, and I'm a compulsive inventor."  
An Inventor Anonymous meeting.  
  
  
The plane, the Rangerplane MkII, was an improvement over the haphazard style of its counterpart. Its aluminum shell shown in contrast to its older sisters bleach bottle body. its stub wings with a circular housing at each end for the engines, also showed an improvement to the flapping wings of its predecessor. The MkII's wings could pivot to allow changes in altitude, and the wings lack of size meant that they were less brittle than the Mark I's. The flight time also received a boost; along with the total power and max weight it could carry. The only similarities between the two was the balloon used for ballast and its bird like legs, although the suctions cups were replaced with a more bird like foot on the MkII.  
Its cockpit was simple, yet cluttered in comparison to its predecessor. It was equipped with an artificial horizon, a compass, a volt-o-meter, battery life meter, a radio that could listen to air and local radio stations, but the best of all was a GPS system installed in the middle. No more flying around, guessing at your direction, altitude, and how long your electricity would last. No, the plane had all the modern accessories.  
The paint scheme was simple, yellow wings and blue on the engine housings, flat black anti-glares markings on the nose and inside motor housings and a polished aluminum frame.  
The engines started to emit a low pitch hum as they turned over and started to spin at a reduced RPM. It's occupants, going through a preflight checklist. The mouse in the pilot seat counting off the items as the Chipmunk in the copilot's seat read off.  
"Running lights."  
Jen verified that the switch was on, "Check."  
"GPS synchronized."  
Another quick confirmation, "Check."  
"Batteries at 9v and steady."  
"Check."  
The process was repeated for about a minuet. Finally, with the last item checked off, Jen revved the engines, their change in pitch confirming the increase in power. The aircraft slowly floated out of the hangar, and once free, gained altitude. Soon the craft was slowly cursing above the campus. As expected a rodent sized blimp hovering above attracted some attention.  
"Is this a private flight, or can any old bat join in?" Magnolia chirped.  
"Hop in, I doubt you could keep up, when I open this baby up." Jennifer replied with a slight smirk.  
Maggie matched their speed and gracefully slipped in to one of the seats on the starboard side. "I think my books are heavier this year..." She said with a sigh of relief as she removed her backpack and flexed her aching flight muscles. She was to out of shape. School life was making her soft. "...and to many double espressos." She muttered under her breath.   
With all of its passengers on board, the plane banked left, almost due west, and started to accelerate. Soon they reach their ideal speed and altitude, and were on their way to the old tree that the trio called home for the first fifteen years of their lives.  
  
* * * *  
  
'Why doesn't any one answer the door?' Foxglove thought to her self. She had been cleaning the tree house and was a little ticked that she had to stop everything to get the door.  
Foxy peered through the peephole, then with a startled expression. She forgot her agitation as she threw the door open. "Maggie?"  
"Hi Mom, sorry to drop by like this."  
"I see you brought company," Foxglove said referring to the twins.  
"Hi Aunt Foxglove." They replied in unison.  
"Well are you three going to come in, or are you just going to stand there?"  
Geegaw elbowed his sister; she saw that mischievous look in his eyes. "Well, I don't know, it's so nice out here." He stated, admiring the park.  
Foxglove, being a trusting bat, didn't pick up on the sarcasm in Geegaw's voice. "Suit your self, personally, I find it to bright out there."  
Both Geegaw and Jennifer snickered at their running joke. Now it was Jens turn. "We could take the new plane of a spin, there are a few items that I've been meaning to try out. They should work."  
Jennifer got the desired response as Foxglove noticeably cringed at that hated phrase. 'It's the Hackwrench reflex' she thought to her self.  
Finally, after a minuet of the constant attempts of 'can you top that', in their game of wits, the twins called a draw and entered their old house, leaving Foxglove in a stupor.  
  
* * * *  
  
The morning fog had rolled in, causing the abandoned building to appear like a ghost. Years ago, the complex was a low-income housing project. Now it's just another eye sore.  
Its burned skeleton a mire shadows of its former self. Three years ago some drug dealer left a burner on for to long and the resulting explosion removed the top three stories leaving only the bottom two to burn.  
This is where the 43 street Tomcats called home. The gang, that had operating under the noses of the humans of the city, now was the top 'dog'.  
When Tom's uncle was forced to retired due to twitches, hallucinations, and uncontrolled out bursts, it turned the animal underworld on its head. The resulting mob war removed Tom's only real threat, Ratcapone, in a gang shoot out. Tom had risen to power in the absence of the any large crime lords, and under the noses of the other gangs, slowly incorporating then into his fold. Now he ran the only organized crime ring in town, a total monopoly.  
"But, boss, their only rodents. How hard could it be to take care of them?"  
A dim-witted cat interrupted Toms train of thought. He had gathered his underlings around a table in the basement of the burned out building.  
"Do I have to go over this one more time?" he quarried.  
"Ahhh... Yes?" the ally cat said with a vacant look in his eyes.  
Tom moaned audibly. "One last time. My uncle was one of the biggest crime lords this town had ever seen, but he went crazy after years of his plans being spoiled by the Rescue Rangers. I'm not going to take them lightly. That's one liability I can live with out.  
"I have an advantage," he continued "that my Uncle did not have. Years ago the Rangers had disbanded to raise families and have a normal life. The plan is to hold their offspring for ransom, then kill them."  
"Kill the Rangers or their children?" One of Toms quicker Generals asked.  
"Yes." Tom said with a maniacal sparkle in his eyes.  
  
* * * *  
  
The Library was housed in a musty old hangar that the rodent aviators of the area had originally built. The renovation had been extensive. The thin walls were reinforced and insolated. The old floodlights were removed and the electrical system was gutted. The hangar doors were removed and a prosthetic was put in its place. Great pains were put into preserving the look and feel of a hangar on the exterior.  
The interior was done in an art deco style. Sunroofs were installed to help open the interior. A second story was added and books quickly filled its shelves. A large section in the middle was left open with the second story making one large balcony wrapping the top, with great arches gracing its perimeter.  
  
The library had just opened. The only sign of life was a young looking squirrelet behind the librarian's desk. She wore a causal turtleneck shirt and jeans, yet there was an air of authority about her. She had been a librarian for the school for as long as it's been open, and all the students respected her.  
"Bink, I was wondering if you could help me?" The librarian redirected her gaze from the computer monitor to the student requesting her assistance.  
Before her stood a chipmunk. He wore a bomber jacket and a fedora and had a presents of a leader. She knew this figure well.  
  
She could barley remember the first time she met Chip. It was when she was young. A crime lord named Fat Cat had kidnapped her and her sister. Chip and the others Rescue Rangers had come in the nick of time, keeping the two squirrels from becoming cat food.  
For the longest time, her sister, Tammy had a crush on Chip. Tammy eventually matured far enough to realize that the age gap was to great for it to work and that Chip only had eyes for the then resident Inventor/Aviator/Ranger, Gadget.  
  
"Chipper, what brings you here. Don't you have a class during this time?"  
Bink studied the figure as a small smile formed across his mouth.  
"Sorry Bink, try again." he said as he raised the brim of his hat to show off his blue eyes.  
"Gee, would you stop that. Its not funny any more." The librarian chastised, hitting the chipmunk on the arm with a newspaper.  
"Sorry Bink, this time its business. Do you remember an article in last weeks paper about a group of researchers for Cal State Berkley heading to the artic circle to study global warming?"  
Bink rubbed her chin momentarily, and flicked her long tail thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, I should have the paper on file, but it'll take a moment to find it."  
A few key clicks and the article appeared on the screen. "Why the sudden interest in the environment?" She queried.  
"Well..." Geegaw started.  
"This isn't about the research, is it." She prompted.  
"Not really. I guess you could say were going on a research project of are own."  
"Your not seriously considering going up there, are you?" The squirrel squeaked in disbelief.  
"No were not considering on going, were planning on going." Geegaw said calmly.  
"Your not serious, are you?" Bink blurted out in disbelief, forgetting this was a library. "And who is this 'WE' stuff anyways?"   
"Who else? Jen, Maggie, Zipper, and myself."  
"And what is this 'research' your doing?"  
"It's not really research, but a search. It all happened on the Rangers first case. Mom was flying Grandpas old plane, The Screaming Eagle. She tried to land in an area called Glacier Bay. To make a long story short, when landing on snow, use skis on the landing gear." Geegaw paused to catch his breath then continued.  
"Mom had to use parts of the plane to make the Rangerwing. The rest of the Eagle was abandoned. She always regretted leaving the only reminder she had of Grandpa behind. It's the one thing that she wishes she could do over."  
"Count me in." The squirrel said in reply to the story that was just told.  
It was Geegaws turn to be surprised. "Did you just say..."  
"I don't stutter, and you ears don't flap. I owe your parents a lot. They've pulled my tail out of the fire more times then I care to remember." Bink said flatly. She turned back to the computer. "Now, the team that's going up is staying near Glacier Bay, a small town that got its name sake from the bay. Their schedule corresponds with our two-week spring break. If we play our cards right, we have a way up and back, plus shelter."  
Geegaw could only stammer in shock. New volunteers were coming out of the woodwork. 


	5. Eyes in the Darkness

04: Eyes In The Darkness  
"Disney's movies are to happy."  
E.A. Poe  
  
The night was unusually cold and the city sky shown in all its glory. Only two small animals could be seen. This fitted Metro perfectly. He was stalking his subjects like a cat after dinner. The rat was sent out to gather information on the where about of the now defunct Rangers. 'What better place' he thought to himself, 'than following the leaders kids around.'  
Metro knew something was up, but the details were still sketchy. He doubted that the kids knew all the details ether. He was hoping that all of that would change tonight.  
  
* * * *  
  
Maggie was hitting the books hard, when there was a knock on the door. Her dorm was small, barley enough room for her and Jennifer to coexist. The floor was cluttered with magazines, books, and a pair of coveralls that Jen had forgot to pick up.  
Magnolia waded her way through the mess to answer the door.  
"Tammy?! What are you doing here?" The bat could not believe her eyes. It wasn't every day that an instructor paid a visit to your room after hours.  
"I'm here for the meeting, Bink should be by shortly. She had to cover for the night librarian again."  
Magnolia was mentally kicking her self. She had completely forgot about the gathering. She no sooner showed her guest in and closed the door, when Jennifer and Geegaw showed up. Jennifer let both Geegaw and herself in.  
"What took you so long?" The bat inquired.  
"This may sound funny but..." Geegaw paused. "I think we were being followed."  
"He forced us to take a less direct route." Jennifer said with a huff.  
"Gee, your starting to sound just like your dad. Stop being so paranoid." Magnolia chirped in. She was about to close the door when Bink darkened the threshold.  
"Is this a privet party or can any one join?" Bink said sarcastically. She look around the room, seeing that she was the last to arrive, decided to start the meeting.  
"Lets start by going over what we know." Bink stated after every one was seated, then handed the center of attention over to Tammy.  
Tammy pulled out a list and started too read from it. "First was know the general area the plane is in, narrowed down to a mile area south of Glacier Bay. Second is the weather. Glacier Bay is in the artic circle, some were in the north of Greenland, and is a permafrost area. In other words the ground doesn't stay frozen year round. Third, We know that Cal State Berkley is sending up a group of researchers over the spring break." Tammy paused.  
"Now onto the plan. It should be easy to slip aboard with the luggage on to the airplane. You'll stay at a hospice about a mile away from the search area. The Eagle and any other spare item can be sent to the school by airmail. The town it self is near a US military base. If you need to, a flight out can easily be obtained on one of the military transports. Any questions?"  
Geegaw took the opportunity to speak the one question that's been bugging him since he got there. "It looks like we have a plan. I have just one question, Tammy, were do you fit into this all."  
Tammy had expected this question sooner or later. With a sigh she started. "Bink has broken her tail. The Vet said it should be better in a month and a half to two months, but spring break is one month away." Geegaw looked at his sister, who was sitting next to him, then at Bink. To his surprise, the center section of her tail had a hard cast covering it. She appeared to be sitting very uncomfortable, constantly readjusting to find a place were she wasn't resting on it..  
Tammy proceeded in her explanation. "Also you'll need a person back here that's in on the plan. Bink can cover our tails and take any package that is sent here."  
She left the third reason to her self. When she was sixteen, and Bink only five, A Mobster named Fat Cat had tried to turn them into cat food. The Rangers had saved them. Disney couldn't of written it better. After the incident, her sixteen-year-old hormones, and fantasies kicked in. She had a crush on Chip for about a year, but Chip only had eyes for Gadget. When Chip had realized that she had grown up, and would of made a perfect Ranger, it was to late. They had been disbanded for five years.  
She had graduated from Yell as a Valor Victorian with a major in criminal law and a minor in constitutional law. Even though she was one of the top students in her class, rodent layers her not in high demand. She was forced to settle for a job at a small law firm, barley making enough to stay alive. Her life had hit rock bottom. All she could afford was a small hole in the wall in a cheep motel, and newspaper to eat. One day, out of the blue, she received a letter, asking if she would come to teach from a small school she had never heard of. Thinking it was a joke; she almost threw it away, until a small logo on the back of the letter caught her eye. It was a lightning bolt streaking through two R's, and a small note, "From Chip and Gadget." She had forgotten about the Rangers, the real reason she entered into law school, and just concentrated on living life one day at a time. The sight of the logo sent chills down her spine. She immediately replied, only to receive another letter five days later, this one personally written by her younger sister and signed by Gadget and Chip accepting her resume. From there, the rest was history. She had an all expenses paid trip to the school, and after a small, customary, interview, was immediately accepted.  
"Anything else?" She quarried to the small group.  
  
* * * *  
  
Tom was happy. When he was happy, every one under him was happy. A back rub always relaxed him, especially when an attractive cat was giving it. He was trying to live down his reputation as a gang leader. Now he was a crime boss, not the head of some ragtag group, but the leader of a citywide crime family. As part of this image overhaul, he had decided to move from the burned out building, to an abandoned wear house.  
The 'Happy Cat Cat Food' factory had been abandoned for quite some time. He had recently acquired the building from his now deceased uncle. It had been his uncles headquarters and a hot spot for night activity and gambling for years.  
The intercom in his office came to life.  
"Metro is here to see you sir."  
"Candice, I thought you were heading home of the night."  
"I was just heading out sir."  
"Good, send mister Metro in."  
Tom was very Happy, and purred out loud. The door opened and a well-dressed rat walked in. He was wearing an expensive looking suit, and was well groomed.  
"Ah, Metro, please have a seat." Tom motioned toward some large leather chairs. "This is some good news I hope."  
"Yes sir. I know what those kids are doing. They're planning a trip to a place called Glacier Bay. There is some item of importance at that location. Something sentimental. They're leaving in three weeks." The rat paused. "Boss, may I make a suggestion?"  
Tom waved his hand, signaling for the rat to continue.  
"Sir, it appears that most of the Rangers will be in one place, at one time. The leader and his wife, along with the other chipmunk and his companion will be at their old headquarters for the up coming Easter vacation. The other mouse is no longer a concern of ours, and the fly is going with the kids. If I could be so bold, three of the Rangers will be in one place at one time. If we kidnap them and use them for bait to lure the children into a trap."  
Tom saw were his hired hands train of thought was going. "I could have them all with little effort, but alas, I think we should bide are time. We are dealing with a sly fox, one that has proven intelligence. Lets watch are adversary, and learn their ways. See when their guard is lowered and when they are alert. Once we know their every move before they do, we will strike." Tom turned back to his subordinate. "For you're effort Metro, you'll find a nice bonus in you're check."  
The rat bowed his head. "Thank you boss, that is most generous." 


	6. The Stuff Legends are Made of

05: The Stuff Legends Are Made Of  
"Yes, I'm sure the lock is a fake one."  
H. Hoodenie  
  
  
Jen hated flying in the cargo hold. It was loud, cold, and cramped, even for a mouse. No one said they were taking a cargo transport. She had grand thoughts of a passinger craft, but this... she had never considered. The group was finally on its way. It consisted of Tammy, Magnolia, Zipper, Geegaw, and of course, her self.  
Every one was cold, but it affected Magnolia and Zipper the most. Zipper found comfort by snuggling up next to Jennifer in her jacket. Magnolia on the other hand, had a problem. Her wings were just large air conditioners, releasing all of her body heat through their thin tissue. To counter this, her jacket was specially designed for bats. It was more like a vest with large gloves for sleeves. It did her little good.  
They had brought little with them. A few changes of clothing, some tools, and the MkII. The plane had been specially fitted for cold weather. Jen didn't want to lose the plane while searching for her mothers lost plane. She would never live it down  
Jen looked down at the sleeping fly. Zipper started snoring, his wings buzzing ever so often, tickling her. Soon she fell asleep, her snoring not audible above the C-130 as it flew on to their destination.  
  
Magnolia was cold. She was shivering uncontrollably. Geegaw was sitting next to her. He wrapped his arm around his cousin, rubbing her wings to help her keep warm.  
"Arrrrre wee almmmost therrrre?" She barley said through her chattering teeth.  
"Were three fourths of the way there. Would you like a blanket?"  
She could only shake her head in conformation. Geegaw quickly returned with a large comforter and a cup of tea that was taken from a thermos that one of the researchers had brought on board.  
Geegaw wrapped the blanket around her, as she cupped her wings around the tea.  
"Rrreminddd me, why arrrrre we dooinggg thisss?"  
"Were doing this as a present for mom."  
"Aunt Gadggget betttter appreciate thththisssss."  
  
* * * *  
  
"Are you sure this is the right address?"  
The house before them looked like every other house on the street.  
"Yes, I'm sure." Jennifer snapped. She really wasn't sure, but Geegaw had been getting on her nerves, and she was starting to loose her patience.   
The group walked up to the small door just left of the main door the human occupants used. Geegaw knocked, then waited for an answer. Nothing, he knocked again. Finally after a fourth knock, and almost leaving, the door opened slowly.  
On the other side was an old, withered, widow mouse. Her brown fur now grayed with age, and her face was wrinkled by time, but the group could tell that she was a real number in her time. "How can I help you, young folks?" She squeaked out.  
Jennifer cleared her throat. "Were looking for the Hospice, would you know were it is?"  
"Oh, so you're the young ones we were expecting, come in, come in." She made an elegant sweep, with her free arm, with a precision reserved for royalty. Then she called up a flight of stairs, summoning a voice the rag-tag group of rodents outside didn't think she had in her. "Brook, the guests are here."  
There was a loud clatter of footsteps, and a young mouse, barely eighteen. Her fur and eyes were a chocolate brown. She was wearing a red 'v' neck shirt and jeans. Jennifer could see that Geegaw was standing there with his mouth open.  
"This is my granddaughter, Brook, and I'm Agnes. Nice to meet you all." She turned to the young mouselet. "Brook, why don't you help them with their bags, while I show them to their rooms.  
  
Brook left to help Jennifer and Geegaw retrieve the luggage while Zipper, Tammy, and Magnolia entered the house.  
Brook was the first one to speak as they trotted to the plane that had bore them here. "I don't mean to pry, but are you two boyfriend, girlfriend?"  
"No, he's my brother," Jennifer said indifferently.  
"Actually were twins." Geegaw volunteered.  
Brook first perked up at the knowledge that Geegaw was available, then blushed when she found out that they were, not just siblings, but twins. 'Strike one.' She thought to her self.  
Jennifer could sense that Brook had an unspoken attraction for Geegaw, and he was no help. He was trying to show off, not in a big way, just small things. She could tell if any information was going to be had here, she was going to be doing the asking.  
"Say, Brook," the embarrassed mouse gave her a sheepish look, "were looking for an old plane out side of town. Have you seen any around?"  
Brook brightened, as her mind was released from the self imposed barrier. "Come to think of it, there have been reports around town of a small plane, mostly from the old fishermen who go out to do some ice fishing." She paused. Jen could sense that she was holding something back. "People say its haunted. The rumor is that a young pilot died in an accident looking for a lost love, and her spirit haunts the wreck, calling to any one that comes to close."  
Jennifer's curiosity got the best of her. "Do you believe the stories?"  
"I don't know. Good mice have gone out to look for the wreck, never to return. My father went out there..." She looked out distantly over the southern sky, and then came back to earth. "I'm sorry, were was I?"  
"People looking for the plane." Geegaw reminded her.  
"Oh, yah. Listen, between you and me, if you're looking for the plane, don't bother, to many good mice have died looking for this phantom."   
"Do you believe the plane exists?" Jennifer asked.  
"Yes, I've seen it. My father and I were out on a fishing expedition. On our way back, we were hit by a freak snowstorm and were forced to take refuge inside it. After we got back, a man approach my father, and asked if he could take the stranger to the wreck. My Father, being a lonely fisherman, was enticed by the stranger's offer, and his money. They never returned." She looked off into the sky again, "Why do you ask?"  
Jennifer looked right into Brook's bright eyes. 'What to say?' She thought to her self. 'If in doubt, try the truth.' She took a long breath, and then started.  
"The plane in question is named 'The Screaming Eagle'. It had belonged to my grandfather. My mother had been that 'young pilot'."  
Brook registered shock. She starred at her feet. "I'm sorry I didn't know."  
"There's nothing to be sorry about." Brook now wore a bewildered look. Jen continued, "Were planning to surprise her with it on her birthday."  
"But, the stories of a lost love... the calling...?"  
"No, if she was here, she would have a good laugh at the thought."  
"So, she did make it out alive?" Brook asked, treading in eggshells.  
"Yah, she did, along with our dad and a few others. They were chasing a thief, and she simply forgot to use the skies instead of the normal landing gear. She now runs a collage, and in her spare time does some flying." Jennifer explained.  
"Sorry to break up your conversation," Geegaw started, "but were here."  
The three were standing in front of the plane. Brook was so engrossed in the conversation, that she didn't notice the craft until she was upon it. She looked up, taking in its full highth slacked jaw. "Is this your plane?"  
Now it was Jennifer's turn to show off. "Yes, I built it my self, based off of my mothers design."  
"So you're a pilot?" Brook said, directed to Geegaw.  
"Yes, both my sister and I can fly." He gave a pose in his bomber jacket. Jen thought that he looked silly, but Brook ate it up. "We'll talk more inside, right now, we have some luggage to move." Brook gave a disappointed sigh then helped the others with their suitcases.  
  
* * * *  
  
Tammy, Zipper, and Magnolia were sitting in the living room, sipping at some tea. Tammy was casually sipping her tea, admiring the décor, and commenting to Zipper about this or that. How the fire in the fireplace was burning nicely. How this reminded her of her grandmothers house in Utah, and in general, how cozy it was.  
Magnolia, on the other hand, was curled up next to the fire, holding her cup close to her in a vain effort to keep warm.  
Agnes walked in ready refill any cup that had been emptied. Her gaze fell upon the helpless bat. The sight of the small bat, cupping her mug, shivering slightly jogger her memory. "Are you cold dear?" she asked.  
Maggie shook her head in confirmation.  
"I had some fruit bats stay here last year. A nice couple, they were constantly cold, though. It seems to me, dreary, that you don't have much fat." Magnolia beamed at the comment. "Your only muscle." Maggie's smile widened, in spite of her shivering. Why don't you flap your wings a bit, use them muscles, maybe fly around the block. Get some movement before you stiffen too much. Use your muscles to make some heat." The smile was gone.  
"Maybe later." Magnolia said flatly. The idea of exiting the warm house in favor of going around the block, in the snow, out in the cold, did not appeal to her.  
  
* * * *  
  
Every one was stuffed. Dinner had consisted of Alfredo in a cheese and pecan sauce. It was good, and there was plenty of it. Every one had at least seconds, if not thirds. Now they sat around the table making small talk. After awhile, Agnes got up to do the dishes. Zipper offered his assistance, and Tammy followed suit. This left Brook, Jennifer, Magnolia, and Geegaw talking.  
"So Brook, what else can you tell us about the plane?"  
"Not much, nothing that I haven't told you before. Only that it's rumored to be haunted, and it's some were south of town."  
Magnolia almost choked on her drink, causing the tea she was drinking to be sprayed across the table. "Haunted?!" she choked.  
Brook quickly brought her up to speed, telling her what she had told Jennifer and Geegaw. "What I want to know is, what is the real story behind the plane. I want every last detail. That quick over view left me hanging and I need conclusion." she concluded  
The three looked at each other.  
"Don't look at me, YOUR parents were the ones there." Magnolia started.  
"So was your dad, remember?" Geegaw shot back.  
"Oh, yes, I forgot." She recalled sheepishly.  
"I'll start" Jennifer volunteered, breaking the ice. "Gewgaw's and my mom and dad, Maggie's dad, Zipper, and Monterey Jack (a friend of grandpa's), were chasing a Criminal under the name of Aldrin Klordaine. He had framed a police officer for the theft of a priceless gem.  
Magnolia stepped in at this point to continue the adventure that was being unfolded before them. "Chip and Dad's, case brought them to Monty and Zipper. They were globetrotters, and were moored in port at the time. One of Klordaine's associates, a picky pussy by the name of Fat Cat, had emptied the hold of the ship to fill it with fish. In the process filling the hold, the ship sank, along with Monty's and Zippers trunk, (that they called home,) with all their belongings, leaving them homeless and broke. Fat Cat had fled the area; leaving Monterey with a vendetta to resolve. He ganged up with Chip and Dad to hunt down Klordaine and reap his revenge on the cat that destroyed his home.  
  
Geegaw pick the story up. "Grandpa, who I owe my name to, was a pilot, and a friend of Monty's. Dad and Dale needed a plane to pursue Klordaine, his feline, and his mad scientist, Professor Nimnal, and Grandpa was the only pilot Monterey could recommend.  
Mom had been living alone after Grandpa died. She had fallen into a deep depression, and had not wanted to be disturbed. She didn't have any friends at the time, and the only sign of life that darkened her doorstep was the occasional salesmen. Monterey had not known of grandpa's death, but after being caught in a net, which was intended of the unwary Tupper-when sales person, was given the news. Mom had fallowed in grandpas footsteps, becoming a pilot, and after hearing their tale of a wrongly accused police officer, decided to help.  
Now for the crash... Mom had forgotten to rig Grandpas plane with skies. As simple as that. No lost love. No freak storm, or snow bank, just a mistake.  
Now for the haunting, well, if so, it's a different mouse. Our mom", he motioned to Jennifer and himself, "is still very much alive."  
There was a polite cough over heard. The four rodents, turned their heads toward the direction of the kitchen, were the sound emanated. Tammy was leaning on the doorframe, wiping her hands off on a dishtowel. Agnes was, sitting in a rocking chair, knitting, while Zipper slept by the fire, snoring quietly.  
After a long moment, Agnes broke the silence that hung in the air.  
"That's a nice story. I don't want to come off rude but why did you come out here in the first place?"  
Tammy had conveniently left the room and Zipper was sleeping. That left Magnolia, Jennifer, and Geegaw to answer her question. After a moment of the girls eyeing Geegaw he spoke up.  
'He was the one who thought of this trek, he should be the one to explain it,' they reasoned.  
Geegaw cleared his throat, and then started. "We plan to reclaim the plane that we were talking about... as a gift... for mom's birthday. Hopefully we can rebuild it by that time."  
More silence fallowed, then the old mouse asked another question. "How are all of you related to this and each other? "  
Jennifer spoke up this time. "Geegaw and I are siblings, twins in fact." She motioned to her brother who was sitting across from her. "Maggie" she continued, pointing to the bat sitting at the head of the table., "is our cousin, once removed, although she's more like a sister to us."  
Magnolia smiled showing off her teeth, her Canines reviling her chipmunk influences. "Tammy is an instructor at the school that mom runs. She has also been a friend of the families for a long time. Zipper is the only one here that was there on that day. Zipper, along with mom, dad, Dale, and Monterey were part of a group called the 'Rescue Rangers'. A small but devoted group of do-gooders. All of us have ties to the Rangers in some way or another, but his is the most direct."  
"I remember seeing a newspaper clipping some time ago while I did some traveling. The paper was from one of the special rodent papers. It had a picture of you dreary, along with you're brother, Zipper, another Chipmunk, and a large mouse. But that was years ago, before you were born."  
"That's probably our parents." Jennifer said. "Were told that we are the spitting images for them. The other Chipmunk would be Dale, Maggie's dad. That big mouse would have been Monterey Jack."  
"Were is this Monterey fellow anyways?" Agnes asked.  
Jennifer answered. Her head hung low. "Monterey is no longer with us."  
An uncomfortable silence fell like a fog on the room again. Jennifer had tried to avoid thinking about "Uncle Monty". He had left just over a year ago, but his memory was still fresh.  
  
* * *  
  
She thought back to last year's spring break. Geegaw, Magnolia, and her self were kicking back at the old tree house. Monterey and Zipper still kept residence there, along with Magnolias parents, Dale and Foxglove, and tensions were starting to rise. Every one had been around each other with no distractions to help ease the tension for to long. All the little things that no one noticed were now becoming an issue. At last it boiled over in a big fight. It ended when Zipper let something slip that hit home with Monty, and he stormed out mumbling something about going to see some relatives in Seattle. After Zipper cooled down a bit, he decided to find Monterey to apologize. Zipper had said that he knew were Monty was going, and that he had been their once before. About a week later, the Oakmont's received a letter addressed to the Rescue Rangers. Zipper had caught up with Monterey, but the mouse was in the hospital after being wounded in a fight defending his Niece from a pack of dogs. Every one rushed to the hospital, but they had gotten there to late, he had left earlier. They had taken his loss hard, but Zipper had taken it hardest. He wouldn't talk about the incident and probably never will. Monterey's life was one long adventure, but like all adventures, they are never tied down for long.  
  
* * *  
  
Geegaw broke the unnatural silence with a question of his own. "Agnes, were would be a good place to get some information, or any news that might be needed?"  
"That's simple, O'Malley's, the local pub. Patrick, the owner and bar tender, could fill you in on anything you would like, or need to know, but be careful; he'll fill your ear full. Now is not the best time to go though. Half the town is drunk, or close to it. You should try in the morning, when things are slower."  
  
The group was asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows. Brook shared her room with Tammy and Jennifer. Zipper and Geegaw were sawing logs in the living room, using the couches as beds. Magnolias found a nice warm spot next to the fireplace on the ceiling were all the heat had collected though out the night. 


	7. Alliances

06: Alliances  
"Sure, allying with Germany is a great idea, why do you ask."  
Italy, early '40  
  
  
Geegaw was awakened to the sound of giggling. He turned over in a vein attempted at falling asleep again. His eyes opened. Above him were three faces, two were very familiar, and the other was new face. He decided it was to early in the morning to try to remember names.  
Magnolia was on the ceiling, making faces at him, while Jennifer and Brook were giggling like schoolgirls at the sight. They were laughing so hard that they didn't notice that he was awake.  
"Are you quite done yet?" he stated in a testy manner. This caused a louder round of giggling that over shadowed anything he said. Finally he marched into the kitchen to get away from the laughing hyenas in the living room.  
Agnes was putting some walnut pancakes batter on the skillet; while Tammy was going over maps with Zipper. She looked up as Geegaw walked in.  
"So what's the plan?" The squirrel asked. Geegaw looked confused. "You do have a plan, right?"  
He collected his thoughts. "I'd thought we'd go into town to get the lay of the land, stock up on supplies, and get some questions answered."  
Tammy shook her head in approval. "Sounds like a good idea." Then changing speeds, "The girls giving you any trouble?"  
"A little." He lied, and she knew it.  
"Don't worry, the more they bug you, the less they quarrel between them selves."  
Geegaw didn't find much comfort in her statement, but let the matter rest.  
She continued, "Boy, can they talk up a storm. I forgot what happens when more than one girl their age gets together, and Maggie joining us at two in the morning was like throwing gasoline on a fire." She sighed, "Alas, the recliner was comfortable. By the way, did you know that you snore?"  
Zipper laughed at this question.  
She turned her attention to the fly. "Don't laugh, your even worse. You snore, and buzz."  
Zipper blushed, and then went back to looking over some maps.  
Geegaw thought it wise to change the subject. "Do we know exactly what were going to need when we go to town?"  
Tammy contemplated the inquiry for a moment. "Jen might need some items form the hardware store, other than that, just some extra clothing. Every thing should be ready after breakfast."  
"Good to hear you say that dear," Agnes broke in, "because its ready now."  
  
* * * *  
  
The trip over was uneventful. Magnolia had flown beside 'Jen's Dream', as the plane was being referred to now. When she got tired, for she had only been flying as a hobby, not as a way of life unlike her mother, she found that the motors were warm and inviting. She also practiced her echolocation, knowing that it might come in handy. She found that snow was a hard subject to locate. It never returned any of her pulses she emitted.  
The center of town was nothing more than a main street and a hand full of businesses. The town was an old fishing community that had fallen on some hard times. Half the store windows were vacant, but the people that were out on this cold morning seemed to know one another, and tipped there hats or waved as they passed each other.  
Tammy and Jennifer had set out with Agnes to find what they needed.  
Geegaw, Brook, Magnolia and Zipper went over to O'Malley's, to question the owner/Barkeep.  
The bar was in the far corner of the surprisingly well lit establishment. Tables littered the area in between the booths and the bar; their chairs sitting on top. Photos of ships and sailors littered the walls along with other items that had a nautical theme. A door was on the far wall, its surface worn with age. The walls were a light wood grain with dark accents. Every one noted the light smell of brewers yeast in the air.  
As to be expected, the bartender was behind the bar. "Were closed at the moment, try back after six." The owner's said, his eyes never wavering from their position as he cleaned a glass. He lacked the Irish accent Geegaw had expected the owner of O'Malley's to carry. He was a round mouse, with a light yellow tint to his fur and lacked any noticeable manners.  
The door on the far wall swung open, revealing an attractive young mouse silloetted by the sun. She entered, the door closing behind her, shutting out the day. She looked to be around sixteen, though her mannerisms told of a maturity far beyond her years. Her yellow fur glistened, and her blue eyes pierced into the soul. "Brook, lass, what brings you here, and with guests none the less?" She had a heavy Irish accent, that stood out in contrast to the older barkeep.  
"Fiona, It's been awhile, almost a week. Oh, were are my manners? Forgive me. These are some friends of mine. They're currently staying as houseguests. Starting on my right is Magnolia, Zipper, and Geegaw. They're here to, retrieve... OUCH."  
A quick jolt to Brook's foot brought her to an abrupt end. Geegaw wasn't sure he wanted what they were doing public knowledge yet.  
"I'm sorry, I missed the last part." Fiona said tilting her head to one side.  
"We've here to... um..." Geegaw didn't anticipate needing a cover story when they left that morning, and was unprepared.  
Maggie stepped in, "Were here to study the sudden warming trend and how it affects the marine life."  
The mousemaid brightened. "That's good to hear. You see, Magnolia is it, do you mind if I call you Maggie?" the bat responded that she didn't and Fiona continued. "You see, the lack of fishing has hit the town hard. We depend on the sea, and the fish it provides. If the fish dry up, so does the town."  
Magnolia shook her head in acknowledgement. "Yes and that's why were here miss...?"  
"Oh, I'm sorry, I've forgotten to introduce my self. My brain must be thicker than petemoss. My name is Fiona O'Malley, and this is my brother, Patrick O'Malley."  
"I don't mean to pry but, you speak with a heavy accent were your brother seems to have none." Magnolia inquired.  
"Oh, that's simple. He's lost his accent after living in the states for to long. He's gone soft." Fiona said referring to more that his American accent. "I, on the other paw, have only recently moved here form a small island called Roan Inish. Ma, thought it best that I come live with Patrick for awhile."  
"After you were expelled from school." He called out from behind the bar.  
Fiona ignored the comment and continued undeterred. "So, Maggie, what brings you into this haven of depression, and sin?" Patrick shot Fiona a glare, but never missed a beat, the glass now cleaned for a few minuets.  
  
Brook was treading on thin ice. On one paw she didn't want to lie to her friend, but on the other, she didn't want to blow her new friends cover. "These three are interested in some local foke-lore." She started after seeing the others story flounder. "Specifically about the plane, and were it could be found. I was wondering if you and Patrick could help them out, seeming as you're the closes to were the stories are spread."  
Patrick spoke first. "I wouldn't put much stock in those stories. Just the babble of some drunk old rodents spreading gossip."  
"I would'a be so sure," Fiona piped in, "most of them stories and tales have a thread of truth, how ever small, that their based on."  
"Don't tell me you believe that load of moss!" Patrick scolded, his Irish roots starting to show in his voice.  
"No, " Fiona shot back, "I'm just saying that there is probably some truth in the matter is all. We know that there is most likely a plane out in the snow. Form there, its all fluff."  
Magnolia wasn't able to stand all the dancing about, weather it was true or not. What they needed was some answers. "Excuse me." She said quietly, but with force behind her voice. The two O'Malley's stop their skirmish and stared. She was starting to lose her nerve but pressed on, with a bit more caution.  
"We have an interest in towns hear say. Also, if this plane exist, we need to know the general area were it would be... so our... um... readings would not be contaminated by an outside object."  
Geegaw could see that their story was barely holding water. He was getting fidgety, and was ready to run, but Patrick shrugged and went to the wall behind him and pulled a piece of string that Geegaw hadn't noticed before.  
The worn string went taught, and a map of the area around town unfolded. Little red dots could bee seen on its surface, and seemed to be prominent in an area close to the beach, starting about a quarter of a mile away, but were concentrated a mile and a half away almost due south.  
"Each red dot represents were a sighting has been made. I started marking the locations after getting a few thrill seekers come through here. They, and their guides," he looked sympathetically at Brook, "never came back, and no trace of them could be found afterwards. Some say that the ghost had got them; others say that the freak winter storm had done the job. For about a year rodents came from all over the world looking for the haunted plane that had taken four lives. I humored them because it was good for business."  
He changed gears. "I've told you what you wanted to know, now tell me why you're really here."  
"What... what do you mean?" Geegaw stuttered in a startled voice.  
"We both know that your not here doing research."  
Geegaw sighed. "What gave it away?"  
Patrick rubbed his chin. "Oh, little things. Clothing, nervousness, things like that."  
Geegaw proceeded to tell the story about what really happened to the Eagle.  
"So," Patrick concluded, "your saying that an experienced pilot would forget to use the proper landing equipment? That she just forgot?"  
"As unbelievable as it sounds, yes, its true." Geegaw had worried that this story sounded even closer to a lie that the last yarn about just being curious researchers.  
Patrick looked off into the distance as he started. "I've been around long enough to have heard a story that most people have forgotten. It's very close to the one you described. Four rodents and a fly chasing a jewel thief, and a crash landing because a mistake was made. Except in the version I heard, they all died trying to survive in the wilderness. I see that the spin had already started by the time it reached my ears. All I knew was that there wasn't hide nor hair left of any survivors when the search party got there a couple of days later. Oh, by the way, can you guys send me a photo when you get back? It will look great on my wall, and one of the Rangers also, you know, for celebrity statis."  
Geegaw hesitated. "I guess, just don't let this get all over town, at least not until after its recovered."   
Geegaw tried to continue, but Patrick was unresponsive. His jaw dropped, and his eyes glazed over.  
Geegaw, Magnolia and Zipper, all turned to find what had disarmed the Barkeep so easily. There in the door stood a lone figure. Its shape was definitely that of a mouse, and definitely that of an attractive female. Light streamed through her yellow hair, and the shadow that she wore like a cloak gave little detail.  
Fiona had been cleaning tables, and setting up chairs. She was listening carefully to the account and looked up to see why every once stopped.  
She snorted and went back to setting up chairs. 'I wish I could make an entrance like that.' She thought to her self.  
Geegaw was the first to recover. "I see the Hackwrench conversation stopper worked again."  
Though the figures face couldn't be seen, every one could tell a glare was directed to Geegaw.  
  
The 'Conversation stopper' comment was a long-standing joke between the twins.  
They started to notice the affect Gadget had on male rodents when she entered a room, after a few parties thrown to support the school. Gadget had worn the same red sequence dress to both parties. When she entered a room every conversation would stop. When complimented on the dress, she would shrug the question off. "Oh, this old thing? I've had it for years." When asked were she got it, she would politely redirect the conversation, and for some strange reason, Chip would always make a joke about the mob and Gadget would blush.  
The truth is she had worn the dress to go under cover to penetrate a new mob that had formed. She had kept it around for sentimental value, and had worn it because Chip had requested it over her coveralls, which she was most comfortable with.  
  
Jennifer stepped into the warmth of the room. Though it wasn't to cold outside, it was nice to warm her ears once in awhile. If anything, the looks she received could of heated the room by ten degrees.  
A small, round mouse walked over to her. "Welcome to O'Malley's, my name is Patrick, if theirs anything I can do for you, just let me know." He said bringing her hand up for a delicate kiss.  
She was very uncomfortable, and looked to Geegaw for help. He spoke up reluctantly. "Umm... Patrick, could you fill us in more on the terrain were facing."  
"Snow... Ice... Cold." The Barkeeper said in a rough incomplete sentence, still holding the hand of the new mouse that walked in.  
"Patrick, lay off. You'll scare the customers away." Fiona stated with an air of authority. Patrick slumped back to the bar to dry the same glass he's been drying for the past twenty minuets.  
'Do I have to hose you down?' Fiona muttered under her breath, then out loud. "I'm sorry, how can we serve you."  
"Actually, I'm here to meet up with my brother, whom I see you've already met." Jennifer said gesturing toward Geegaw.  
"Ah, so you're the genies I've heard about, and a beauty only nature could produce to boot." Patrick called from behind the bar.  
Fiona knew that even though he had lost his accent, Patrick still had the Irish charm that gave him a reputation as a ladies man about town. She decided to 'save' this poor girl who, by dumb luck, happened to be the first thing female, that is not to be related to him and the same species, to come into view. However, to Fiona's satisfaction, Jennifer didn't have to be rescued.  
Jennifer blushed slightly at the compliment, but politely switched the on comers attention. "I see you have a map of the surrounding area, but what are the red dots scattered around the southern area of the map?"  
Patrick was still smothering the young mouse, but decided to go about it less aggressively. "Those red dots, my dear, happen to be were you're objective has been sighted."  
"The search area is to wide, but this map could be useful." Jennifer half muttered to her self.  
"Glad you fill that way, why don't you makes this your head of operations." Patrick said, in a grand voice.  
Jennifer was dumb founded, 'How could he of heard me. Even Maggie couldn't have heard that.' she thought to her self.  
"Great," Geegaw said, cutting off Jennifer before she could refuse, "we'll come by tonight."  
  
* * * *  
  
The bar was busy that night. It always was on ladies night. Sure more women showed up, but they were looking for a free meal and a night on the town, that meant a trip to the nickel arcade and the Cineplex and not much else. What was the real moneymaker on ladies night were the guys. All the bachelors would sit around and hope to be able to ask a girl out. Most of the people who showed up were under age, so O'Malley's always had a large amount of sodas on tap. Sure, some of the local high school seniors would try to pull a fast one on Pat, but living in a small town had its disadvantages, namely, every one knew you're face.  
Tonight was no different, thought Mike. The brown mouse, with deep piercing brown eyes, was working on his third Dr Pib, and not one girl had walked through the double doors. The music was loud, the talking was louder, everything was loud tonight, and yet empty. His friends had copped out, leaving him to mope the night away. 'Tonight's a washout.' He thought to himself.  
The doors opened, everything stopped, a chipmunk and fly walked in. He didn't recognize the two, but new comers were not new around here, being a port town, and since every one here was looking for a date, the two were ignored.   
Only Mike, who was curious, watch the two hold the door open for four girls. One was an attractive field mouse, another a striking bat, the third a stunning squirrel, that had to be at least in her mid-thirties, but just as eye-catching as the other two, and Brook, the familiar, yet jest as mind blowing as the other three.   
He sat across from her in chemistry and biology, and he had been unsuccessfully trying to get a date with her for the last month. He was shy and afraid of rejection from her, though he didn't know why.  
The group made there way, almost unnoticed, to the back room, were Patrick, hurried them in the closed the door.  
'That's odd,' Mike thought to himself, 'Pat never lets anyone in there. It's, like, his private lounge. The only other person aloud in there was Fiona, and the occasional ghost hunter. But they didn't look like the "thrill seeker" type, and Fiona was probably upstairs.'  
Mike crept up to the secluded door, and peered in through the keyhole.  
  
* * * *  
  
"I can't stay for long, I do have a bar to attend, but this is the privet room, were I bring anyone searching for the plane. Most of them are just here for a thrill, so I usually charge a small fee, but in you're case, its been waved. Oh, I forgot to tell you, use the back door, on Saturday nights. It's ladies night, and on the rare occasion, like tonight, were no galls show up, you'll be the star attractions."  
Patrick turned to leave, Mike scrambled into the bathroom, just able to make it before the door opened. Patrick looked at the men's room door as it swung back and forth on its hinges. He let out a grunt and headed to the bar to serve the ever-growing number of male guests looking for non-existent dates.  
  
Mike peered around the door to see if the coast was clear. He was athletic, though his idea of a good time wasn't out on a field, but behind the computer. He only worked out to keep in shape, not to impress unlike some of the football players who thought they owned the world, and just let him live in it. Seeing that the hall was clear, he stepped up to his peephole again.  
  
* * * *  
  
The room was cast in a blue-white florescent light, the white walls seeming to amplify the light after a walk through the dark bar. There was a large map, identical to the one Pat kept behind the bar. A spool and two Lego style blocks, both had the smooth bricks added to the top to remove the uncomfortable bumps, were the only semblance of furniture. The walls ran undisturbed of decorations, except for the map, the door they entered, and a second door, that the group assumed went to the second story of the building.  
"The weather tomorrow should be clear, I say we start in this area over here," Geegaw pointed to an area on the map, "and do sweeps of the area, square by square."  
  
Mike sat watching as, what he assumed was the leader, pointed out areas on a map. He could not hear what was being said, because of the background noise. He was coming down with a cold, and his nose was clogged, but the bar noise had drowned out any of his sniffling. Then, without warning, all the soda he had drunk came back to haunt him. He held it back as best he could, but the burp was still audible over the background sound.  
Taking time to make sure that no one noticed, mike placed his eye back to the keyhole. The occupants of the room had shifted, and as best as he could tell one was out of view. 'No matter, things seem to be proceeding as they had before.'  
  
* * * *  
  
The conversation continued, but Magnolia was preoccupied. She thought she had heard something on the other side of the door they had entered through. The sound had subsided, but she could still hear a steady beat, like breathing, over the music from out side. Then the spy, that she wasn't sure she was just imagining, made a mistake. A single burp was all that was needed to reveal his presents. Slowly she crept up to the door, making sure that she was out of its line of sight. She waited for the right moment, and then flung the door open, nearly throwing it off its hinges.  
  
* * * *  
  
Mike's eyes opened. It happened so fast that he had landed in his face, knocking the wind out of him. Before him was a foot, a small, yet powerful foot, capable of grabbing branches or a rock face.  
"Ah another victim." Mike heard a strange demonic voice sound. He turned over to find four large fangs, and eyes as red as crimson above him. He could not make out much detail, but what he did see was convincing. Large, bony wings out spread, and two large ears that could pick up a fly at twenty paces like it was not more than an inch away. It was all some how familiar, yet scared him.  
  
"Maggie, stop scaring the kid." Tammy said.  
Magnolia had worked hard to put on that show and with one sentence it was gone. She returned to her normal stance. Wings on her hips, her deep blue innocent eyes shining for all the world to see. She backed up a few steps to allow a better view of the rest of the rag tag group.  
"Mike, what are you doing here?" Every one turned to find Brook, her fists resting on her hips, giving him the 'look'.  
  
The 'look' had been a woman's most potent weapon in her arsenal ever sense the first couple got together. When used properly, it can melt steel. Brook, however, wasn't a professional. That title comes with age and maturity. Her look was a combination between the 'Daddy please' look, and a tantrum about to be thrown but as young teens go, it had the desired affect. Mike's ears sagged, and he diverted his eyes in shame.  
  
"You know this interloper?" Tammy questioned, verbalizing what everyone had been thinking.  
"Yes," Brook replied flatly, her eyes never wavering from the mass of fur laying on the floor, "he sits beside me in a couple of classes, that's all." Mike's hart sank.  
"I guess there is nothing left to do but introduce our self's, and close the door before we attract a crowd." Magnolia said closing the door behind her, then offered her wing in assistance. "I'm Magnolia, Maggie to my friends. That's Tammy, the responsible one, Zipper, the ambitious one, Jennifer, Jen for short, the inventor and resident genius, and Geegaw, or better known as Gee, our leader and adventurer type."  
Mike took the wing, more out of a sign of friendship, then help. "Well Maggie, that looked just like a scene out of 'Vampire Bats from Mars'."  
"You liked it? I've seen that movie at least ten times. It's my third favorite movie, right after 'The Princess Bride' and 'Monty Pythons 'Search for the Holy Grail'."  
"I would of never of pictured you as a Python type." Mike inquired  
"Looks can be deceiving. I love the scene with the killer rabbit. I can't believe that the Rabbit acting guild had boycotted the movie for just that one scene.  
"I know. I've meet Charles before. Nice guy, as rabbits go, wouldn't hurt a flea, unless the flea started it." Mike quipped back.  
Magnolia and Mike hit it off immediately, but Brook was seeing red. 'He's mine,' she thought to her self. 'I've been trying to have him ask me out for a month; now she waltzes in as steals him?' Then commonsense marched in to keep the hormones in check. 'Hold on girl, she couldn't of known all that, and now is not the time to lose your head.' With a spoon full of restraint, Brook politely held her tongue. 


	8. Ice

07: Ice  
"Ice is so boring. What we need is something to spice it up a little."  
Mr. Slushy  
  
  
Days had past, and no sign of the plane, or its wreckage any were. The group was tired, and moral was low. Every one dragged there feet into O'Malley's of the morning boost to the sprit and a warm drink.  
"What can I get the weary travelers?" Patrick inquired.  
"Huuuuuuu CHOOOO" Magnolia sniffed and was handed a tissue.  
"Oh, that doesn't sound good, let me get you some tomato soup." Patrick ran off to the kitchen.  
"Umm, Magnolia," Geegaw drug his feet, "you've been a real trooper."  
"But?" She prompted in a nasally voice.  
"It's up to you, but we feel that maybe you should sit this one out. Get some rest. You've been working at 110% for the past week. Take a day off."  
"Are the rest of you going out?" She asked, her eyes adverted, scanning the distance as if looking for something.  
"Yes" Geegaw said flatly.  
"Then I'm going with you," she snapped back to reality, a fire burning in her eyes, "and that's final."  
Geegaw knew that when Magnolia set her mind to something that there was no turning back. Jennifer was about to protest, but stopped, her words losing their strength.  
After a few uncomfortable minuets, Patrick walked in with a tray full of thermoses. "I thought you might need these. Be careful out there, a storms coming on. I've lived here long enough to tell when something being cooked up, and this feels like a big one."  
Tammy did a visual check of the weather, sunny, warm for the area, and not a cloud in the sky. "I think we'll be fine."  
"Just be careful."  
"Aren't we always?" Tammy sarcastically replied to Patrick's caution.  
  
Magnolia had found that she could 'see' metal in the snow, if there was no ice in the way. She found this ability by accident. On a hunch she tried doing some sonar readings of the snow. Most of the time it returned as a giant void. Then she found something big. Returns came back everywhere. What she had found was the wreckage of a WWII P-51 Mustang that had crash-landed in 1946. Although this was not what they were looking for, she was surprised at how far into the snow she could see, and the clarity that the sound returned, all be it, weak. In addition, she found that ice came back as large sleets of static, causing miss readings and difficulties in locating anything, especially near the water, were ice was abundant.  
  
Jennifer was concerned. She had never given her plane a real stress test, and had wanted to take the day off for a check of all the systems. Geegaw had promised that they were going to take a day off soon, but she didn't know if it would hold that long. She had checked the batteries overnight. They were being charged and discharged at a rapid pace through out there courses here and she was concerned that they were losing their edge. Though they were holding, she was noticing that the charge wasn't lasting as long as before. 'Why had I gotten the cheep batteries?' She cursed under her breath. 'To late now for that.'  
  
They flew on; constantly scanning the never-ending show for anything that seemed abnormal. Magnolia had taken up position on the starboard nacelle. Partially for a better view of the snow for her echolocation, but mostly for the warmth it gave off.  
'Its curious,' she thought to her self, 'the engines seem warmer that they had been before. I must be imagining things.'   
The plane flew on, morning turned to noon, then afternoon. It was an hour till they had to turn back. They were deep into their search area for the day, and the farthest from the town they would get. The worst place for something to go wrong, but nothing happened. Jennifer noted that the engines were running slightly hotter than they should, but nothing beyond tolerance. They banked to head home after a long days work. Suddenly there was a power spike in the Starboard engine then it cut out completely. A strange smell, like burnt silicon, emanated from the engine.  
Jennifer checked the gauges. Nothing, the batteries were fine, but the engine wasn't seeing any power, no current what so ever. She did a quick continuity check while Geegaw struggled to keep them on course. The air was getting cold, and the wind was picking up, and to top it off snow started to fall gently.  
As Jennifer expected, the right engine had developed a short some were in the circuit and had blown the fuse, but there was no way to know with out opening it up. Something had come loose and the current had no resistance. This was bad any way you looked at it, but in an electric powered plane, it was a nightmare. If it could happen to one engine, it could happen to the other, especially now that all the power was running through their good engine.  
"Gee, throttle back. Don't push it." She called  
Geegaw throttled back to half power. The weather wasn't going to give them a brake. The temperature was dropping fast, and Barometer on the plane was following suit. That storm they had been warned about, was barring down on them. The wind kicked up signaling rougher weather.  
The plane was tossed this way and that. The single working engine strained against the force of the wind. Visibility had dropped to zero, and Magnolia's echolocation was intermediate at best. Most of the time Magnolia was just hanging on for dear life. If she lost her grip, they would never find her, or if they did, then it would be to late. She pictured her self as an ice cube. The image sent chills down her spine. Slowly she made her way toward the middle, toward the fuselage, toward safety. She climbed in, fastening a seatbelt around herself tightly.  
"WE HAVE TO LAND." Some one yelled.  
"WERE?" Came a response.  
"THERE," Magnolia yelled, "AT THREE O"CLOCK."  
The plane was buffeted as it strained to maneuver against the wind. Creaks were heard as the wings threatened to shear off. They held, but the gauges in the cockpit showed that the Port engine wasn't going to last much longer. It was freezing over. Jennifer had never expected to fly in this type of weather and to make matters worse, the helium in the balloon was contracting beyond normal levels.  
Her lips moved, but no one could hear what she said. "No way I'm loosing the plane here. History will not repeat it's self. Not here, not now."  
She forced the plane into a nosedive while readjusting the engines position, to help in the recovery. Their speed increased. The altimeter spun out of control, as they raced to the ground, a true screaming eagle. The unseen earth raced towards them, closing ever faster. Suddenly Jennifer strained on the stick, pulling it close to her, jamming the throttle to maximum. Every one was thrown into there seats as the g's increased.  
The plane slammed into the soft snow, spewing it everywhere. The sound of metal ripping could be herd above the blizzard. The plane slid sideways the left wing catching in the snow, digging in. The plane stopped with a sudden jerk expelling its passengers into the snow despite the harnesses.  
  
Shelter had been set up quickly. The emergency tent had been put up in no time, and the kerosene lantern was lit. Now it was time to reflect. Jennifer sat eyes transfixed to a single point. 'It's happened again... Another Hackwrench, another wreck. History is a fickle friend, one day with you, the next against you. What went wrong, why did I let us crash. Why didn't I do more.' Tears ran down her face, slowly at first, but quickly increased. She buried her head in her drawn up knees.   
Geegaw had hit his head hard in the landing, causing him to black out momentarily. He sat, shell shocked, delayed by the adrenaline rush that hit him when the cold white snow engulfed him. He sat, unable to focused on anything for long, shaking uncontrollably from adrenaline withdrawals.  
Tammy cradling her arm. It wasn't in a natural shape, and was obviously broken. She tried to keep her mind clear, but the pain when her arm moved, even a centimeter, was unbearable.  
Magnolia sat shivering; Zipper curled up in her wings. 'Cold... so cold. Mustn't go to sleep, can't go to sleep, won't go to sleep.' It was increasingly harder for he to stay awake. Suddenly she fainted from exaction.  
"Maggie!" Tammy exclaimed. The tent had only enough headroom to crawl. She tried to rush over to her fallen friend but tripped and fell on her arm. She inhaled through her teeth, hiding the true pain she felt.  
Geegaw had enough sense to not hurry, as he probably suffering from a head wound. He placed his hand on Magnolias forehead. It felt cold, to cold. All Zipper could do was buzz sleepily above the fallen bat, himself close to collapsing. Now was a bad time to be cold blooded.  
"Tammy, Jen, she's suffering from Hypothermia. We have to keep her warm."  
Tammy inched her way over, removing her jacket. She placed the bat next to her, and was covered in a blanket, hoping that her body heat would help. Magnolias fur sent shivers trough out Tammy's body. It was too cold.  
Jennifer just sat, staring at the tent in the direction the plane rested in. 'Great,' Geegaw thought to himself, 'just what we need, the only uninjured member is suffering from psychological harm.' "Jennifer, snap out of it. We need you."  
She turned her head, eyes still distant. "What could I do, I can't even keep from crashing." Her eyes watered some more. "I couldn't keep from repeating history." Her already pale completion now endured another tear.  
"I don't care if you started World War Three. So what if were grounded, if history repeated! Mom did not let any body die! Now there's a friend that needs our help. What is it going to be, feel sorry for your self, or help Maggie, you're choice." Geegaw shed his bomber jacket and covered Zipper with it then joined Tammy in trying to keep Magnolia warm.  
Jennifer, looked at where the plane would have been, then at Magnolia, then back to were the plane was. She exited the tent, and made her way to the plane. Climbing over the side she searched in the darkness for a moment. Finding what she needed, she made her way back to the tent, not more that two feet away. The wind blew in her face, ice stinging her nose, snow trying to disorient her, but she pressed on, not certain that she was heading in the right direction. Her feet becoming heavier, and it was harder to move in the snow, but she went on, her foot catching something in the snow. She fell face first in the snow. It was calling to her, insisting that she to join it. It was seductive, enveloping her. She gave one last look around, barley able to keep her eyes open. Nothing, except snow could be seen, but she had to press on. Every body in the tent depended on her to return. Through the storm a shadow appeared. Undistinguishable at first, but as the cloaking snow gave way, its form became clearer. It was a figure of a young adult mouse. He stood about five inches high, slender build, with blond hair and mustache. He an outfit suited for an aviator. From his boots, to the aviation cap on top, every thing about him had 'Pilot' written all over. She reached out to him, his blue eyes filled with concern. He saluted and disappeared into the snow again.  
"Wait," she called out fruitlessly.  
Finding new strength she crawled on in the direction the stranger had been, though not certain she had imagined the whole thing.  
  
Geegaw had been too harsh on his sister. He regretted it, but it was her choice to leave, wasn't it? He felt numb, both inside and out. Tammy and himself were trying to warm Magnolia with any heat they could muster. Time would tell if it would work or not.  
He had brought them here, to their deaths. It was his foolish idea that had drugged every one out to die in the snow. He had witnessed his sister leave the tent, as if embracing the cold. It had been an hour since she had left, and still no sign of her. The snow had taken its first victim, now it loomed out side waiting to be let in, to embrace them all.  
  
The wind howled through the tent flap, occasionally ripping it from the Velcro strip that held it closed. Once again the storm had mustered enough force to try another attack. It burst through like nothing was there. Geegaw sat up, startled by the sudden coldness. Jennifer stood before him with barley enough strength to stay up. At first he thought he was dreaming, next that she was an apparition, then he came to grips with the fact that she was alive.  
Jennifer coughed, falling to her knees with its intensity. Geegaw was at her side in a flash. Her pink nose was now a light shade of blue, her rose colored complexion now pale. She reached up unzipping a pocket in her jacket, stiffening a cough, pulled out a small bag. She twisted it and handed it to Geegaw. He examined the bag. It was made out of a latex glove. Suddenly he dropped the bag. It was hot. He picked it up again, letting the warmth seep into his had. He looked at his sister, still curled up on the floor coughing quietly, then back at the bag.  
She gave a weak smile. "I thought we might need these in case of emergencies. Their similar to the cold packs athletes use, but backwards." She tried to continue, but another fit of coughing over came her. He wrapped her arm around his shoulder and guided her under the blanket they were using to warm Magnolia. He went back to close the flap to the tent, but tripped over a carelessly placed objected. He looked back, ready to through the item out the door. Under his feet, laid a backpack, bulging at the seems. He recomposed himself, and lifted the backpack, nearly falling over backwards. It was light. He unzipped it and peered into the curiously light bag. Blankets, it was filled with blankets, and more of thoughts packs.  
Geegaw quickly sealed the tent up again, then proceeded to assist his fatigued sister in removing her jacket. Magnolia lay on the floor, breath rattling in her chest. Jennifer laid next to her, arms draped over each other, Zipper in the middle, keeping each other warm. Jennifer occasionally entering spouts of uncontrollable coughing lay exhausted on the floor, but unable to sleep.  
Tammy assisted Geegaw in covering them in the blankets, and then placed some of the warm packs between the two girls. Tammy crawled back under the covers on Magnolias side. She had not spoken a word; she just starred at everything, to emotionally drained to speak. Geegaw covered himself with the blankets, his sister at his back. She muttered a soft thank you. He listened as her breathing became soft and long, with an occasional cough. Sleep hit him last, the warm blankets soothing him as he thought about their situation.  
  
* * * *  
  
Geegaw awoke with a start. He looked around and moaned. They were still in the tent. He had hoped it was all a bad dream. Their situation was so surreal. He looked over, Tammy was sleeping peacefully, and Zipper curled up in her arms. Magnolia was asleep, her breathing calm, her temperature normal. Jennifer was... not there. He began to panic. 'What if that was a dream. What if she hadn't returned after all.' Bracing himself, he placed his hand down on something warm. He looked down to see a small latex bag under his paw.  
Determined to get the whole picture, and to see if Jennifer was around, he quickly dressed and hurried out side.  
The sun was bright, and the snow reflected every ounce of its rays in appreciation. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust. No more than three feet away was there plane, and a lone figure sitting on its side. Geegaw walked over, the fresh snow crunching under his weight. The air was crisp, and a deep shade of blue. If it wasn't so cold, he might of found it beautiful.  
Geegaw stood next to his sister, admiring the scenery. They were on a hill, the ocean not more than a quarter mile away. Its blue waters rivaled that of the sky. Small ice burgs glistened like diamonds as seals used them for a playground.  
"Beautiful, isn't it." Jennifer said, eyes forward.  
Geegaw only grunted his approval. Silence again. Nothing was said, but nothing was needed to be said. They knew what the other was thinking, and took comfort in the fact that they weren't solely to blame for were they were.  
Geegaw broke the silence, eyes unwavering "Can she be fixed?" He asked as he patted the fuselage.  
"I don't know." Jennifer responded her gaze pinned to the sea. Then she looked down. The left engine was buried in the snow, the right, sticking up into the air about three inches.  
She pulled out a walky-talky, from her jacket. It was a crude model but it had been moms. "I've been trying the Rodent Emergence Channel (rec), but no ones out there to hear it." She looked at Geegaw, his eyes still on the ice floating in the harbor. "I guess we'll have to dig the engine out." She said in a dejected voice. "Come on, I have a couple shovels in the plane."  
  
* * * *  
  
Tammy yawned and stretched. She sat up, smacking the sleep away, absent-mindedly starting her routine. She got up and looked for a mirror, but there wasn't one. Then it dawned on her. She wasn't in a room, but in a tent. She went to smack her forehead, but remembered her arm as needles shot up to her head. Remembering their circumstances, and fearing the worse she looked down. The bat at her feet lay motionless. Tammy knelt down. "Maggie... Maggie wake up, please wake up." She franticly said as she shook the lifeless form with her good paw.  
Magnolia moaned and turned over. "No Dad, I've got school tomorrow. I'll watch the Vampire movie marathon some other time."  
Tammy decided to find out how well Magnolia was feeling. She lowered her voice slightly in attempted to imitate Dale. "But Maggie, their starting off with 'Vampire Bats from Mars."  
Magnolia shot straight up. "They are?"  
Tammy giggled. It was mean, but she still derived a little pleasure from the joke.  
  
The twins started digging out the port engine from the snow. It was slow laborious work. They had to dig form under the belly of the plane while freeing snow from the outside and insides of the engine mount. Jennifer was busy removing snow from under the plane while Geegaw freed the sensitive equipment. Tammy watched for a moment. There was a loud metal on metal sound.  
"Watch it Gee, she's doesn't need you putting more dents in the fuselage." Jennifer yelled.  
" It wasn't the plane I hit, it was something else." Geegaw yelled in response.  
Tammy's curiosity over came her. She proceeded to the plane to see what the commotion was about. She rounded the plane to see Jennifer crouched over the area Geegaw had been digging.  
"What's all the hub-bub over here?"  
"You wont believe this Tammy, but I think we've found the Eagle." 


	9. Rescue: Rodent11

08: Rescue: Rodent 11  
"What do you mean, voice lessons?"  
William Shatner  
  
Patrick was cleaning his customary glass behind the bar when the phone rang. "O'Malley's, Patrick speaking."  
"Pat did the others show up later last night. They didn't show up here and..."  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down Brook. Take it from the top."  
Brook took a long, calming breath. "The guys didn't show up last night. I... I hoped that they were there. That they had stayed when the storm hit. If they were still out, then..." Her voice faded off.  
"Their not there?"  
"No."  
"I'll form the search party. Brook they'll be ok, don't worry."  
Patrick hung up. He walked to the back room. In the corner was an indiscreet panel. He removed it, revealing an old radio receiver. He fired it up, the tubes coming to life, the analog display moving for the first time in years. He keyed the mic.  
  
* * * *  
  
Geegaw and Jennifer had righted the plane and was in the process of assessing the damage.  
The right engine was out, the left in an unknown status. The Landing gear was inoperable. The balloon had a small leak, but had been patched. It had lost a lot of helium, but still had enough left, if kept warm.  
Magnolia had been alert for some time, but was ordered to bed. She wanted to help, but was told to get some rest. She persisted, and a compromise was reached. She would monitor the radios; under one condition, no excessive movement, and that she would wear Jennifer's 'heat bags' under her jacket. She finally agreed, sensing that this was the best offer she would get.  
She sat in the copilots seat, kicking back, Gadgets old two-way radio sitting on the seat next to her, tuned into the weather being broadcasted, the planes two radios, on the REC, and a predetermined channel that would be used to reach them.  
Suddenly that station crackled to life, startling Magnolia.  
"Gopher to Eagle, Gopher to Eagle do you copy over." Magnolia sat in a stoopper. The radio continued, "Do you read over." She picked up the mic, recognizing their designation 'Eagle', and responded.  
"G... Gopher this is Eagle, we copy over."  
"Boy it's good to hear your voice. What's your situation, over." By this time Jennifer had reached the radio. Magnolia gladly relinquished it.  
"Gopher, situation is as follows. Engine down, other half power. Gear damaged, one broken arm, and a few empty stomachs, over."  
"Can field repairs be made."  
"Positive."  
"Call off position for supplies."  
"Position is as fallows. 1.5 clicks due south from town. Exact position unknown. Needed, two 1K 1/2 watt resistors and tool case from room and splint. Oh, and my spare batteries would help also, over."  
"Roger, be there by lunch time, stay on channel for updates, over and out."  
Jennifer breathed a sigh of relief. Help was on the way.  
  
* * * *  
  
Brook was waiting by the phone, passing the time fidgeting. It rang, but never finished the first ring as she picked up the receiver.  
"Hello?"  
"Brook, we'll need Jen's tool case and her batteries. Meet me at the bar ASAP, we have a dog to meet about a man." He hung up the phone. She hung up the phone in a daze.  
"Well...?" Agnes prompted from her place seated at the table.  
Brook squealed. "Their ok." 


	10. Epilogue

Epilogue  
  
Jennifer thought back on their adventure. They were lucky to get out with only a broken arm to show for it. The doctor in town had given then all a once over. Tammy's arm was in a cast. Magnolia was told to go easy for a week or two, but would be fine. Geegaw had a small cut on his forehead, but came through unscaved, and Zipper didn't even have a scratch. She had been given a clean bill of health also, but couldn't shake this feeling of impending doom.  
The Eagle had been sent back, and a telegram sent to Bink that it was on its way. Jennifer would of preferred E-mail, but that small town didn't even have a computer that she could access.  
Tammy was sleeping, Zipper on her shoulder. The two were cute, Tammy's head tilted back, mouth open wide, and zipper snoring loud enough to be head over the roar of the cargo aircrafts engines, but Jennifer was worried that Zipper was replacing one lost friend with another.  
Geegaw and Magnolia were going over how exactly the plane would be hidden. The group had been able to hop a civilian style transport, hiding in the cargo hold until they were in the air, and then emerged into the pressurized cabin.   
Magnolia was grateful for the change in aircraft, though the cold didn't seem to affect her as strongly as it did before. She was laughing and throwing out comments, but Jennifer could also see a cold Magnolia, lying on the floor of a tent out in the middle of nowhere. How things have change in the matter of days, yet they seem to stay the same.  
Jennifer sighed. She just wanted to get home and spend the last two days at the old house with every one else there. To just feel safe in a warm bed, and didn't have to go out in to the cold again  
  
Chip rolled over, his hand falling on a warm lump on the bed were his wife should have been. He stretched and yawned, and then after putting on his bathrobe, headed out to find his wife. He stumbled into the kitchen, suspecting that she was working on some invention, or grading papers, but was disappointed to find it empty. Next he tried the living room. He sighed and was about to go back to bed when the sound of metal on metal drifted up from the hanger below. He carefully made his way down the stairs. There he found his wife, in the cockpit of her new plane, leaning against the control stick, causing the control surfaces on the wings to respond likewise.   
The chipmunk slowly entered the craft and gently pulled his wife back to a more comfortable position. As he did so, the reflection of a picture that had previously been hidden in Gadgets lap caught his eye. In it stood Geegaw and Jennifer on one side, with Tammy, Maggie and Zipper on the other, pointing to the uncovered fuselage of the aircraft.   
Chip smiled knowing that they went through something that he may never hear about, but that was probably for the better, and to be honest, he didn't want to know. All he knew was that Tammy had a hair line fracture in her left arm, Maggie seemed to be more tolerable to the cold, and Jennifer seemed to grow in her self-confidence. This was always a good thing for a Hackwrench to do.   
Chip sighed as he placed his arm over Gadgets shoulder. She moaned and cuddled, but never woke up.  
'She was always a cuddle.' He mused as he slowly drifted off to sleep as two watchful eyes kept tab on everything that happened. 


End file.
